Page 5 of A Sinful Night with a Scot
When he finally brought her to a stop, Elsie kept her head high, readying herself for her end. But Laird Mackay only remained standing there, looking at her. His calmness was both unnerving and extraordinary. How could a man about to commit such an atrocity show no emotion at all?
Taking his dirk from his belt, he stepped forward. Elsie held her breath, her heart thumping in her chest and her body trembling, betraying her brave façade. Still, she tried with all her might not to show him fear, even as she could feel tears prickling in her eyes.
He grabbed her wrists, and unable to help herself, Elsie closed her eyes.
This is it. I am tae die here.
But then, as she remained standing, waiting, she suddenly felt the binds around her wrists loosening. Blinking her eyes open, she glanced down and noticed that he had sliced through the rope. While she rubbed the soft flesh where it had dug into her skin, the laird tossed it to the ground.
Confusion once more rushed through her mind as she tried to understand what was happening.
Is this some kind of trick? Can he nay take me life if I am bound?
Behind him, one of his men approached and held out a skin of water and a portion of bread to her. Elsie was now entirely confused.
Is this me last meal? What is going on? This doesnae mak’ any sense.
But then, her brows furrowed and she eyed the offered food with suspicion. Shaking her head, she refused to take it. If the man was going to kill her, she would make him feel it. She was not going to make it easy for him by eating poisoned food or water.
The laird was watching her closely, and with a sigh, he said, “Poisoning someone who is already at me mercy would be beneath me.”
The words were spoken with grim indifference and she thus felt no relief. Instead, she felt a further chill run over her as he continued.
“Ye are here fer one reason, and one reason only,” he said, his voice as cold as ice. “I must avenge me faither’s death and make Laird Gunn suffer, as I have suffered. As me clan has suffered and me men have suffered. Yer death will annul the alliance between Gunn and yer faither, which will weaken and humiliate him. Nay man wants tae be remembered as a person who cannae protect his woman. But the loss o’ the alliance will destroy him more. And that is exactly what I intend tae dae. Destroy him.”
His brutal logic shook her to her very core. He would murder her, just to get back at Laird Gunn. Granted, she realized by his words, that Laird Gunn must have killed his father, but the lack of emotion the man possessed about taking another’s life was astonishing.
The laird sighed and dropped his gaze. “I ken this is unfair. I ken ye have caused me nay hurt, and thus…”
But he did not finish his sentence. As she watched his expression, she was certain she saw something flash across his face. Hesitation, perhaps. A flicker of doubt in his conviction. She had to use that. She had to try.
“Ye are right, me laird,” she replied quickly, trying to keep the tremble from her voice. “I have nae caused ye any harm. I am simply a pawn being used by me faither and Laird Gunn tae align the clans. I would never bring any harm tae anyone, and tae me knowledge, never have.”
Driven by a deep-seated instinct for survival, she was desperately trying to shift the course of her fate with her words, trying to appeal to something within him, anything that might change his mind.
“Surely, me laird, ye, in yer wisdom could afford me a chance at life. Ye are avenging yer faither’s death, which is honorable, but surely, taking an innocent life isnae honorable at all.”
Elsie jumped with fright when the laird took a swift step forward and grabbed her hand. Once more, her heart thumped in her chest, as he, only inches away from her, glared down at her. She had been so certain she had seen something in him, but maybe her words had fallen on deaf ears.
Oh, God, please. Please have mercy. Clearly, ye are pained, but ye dinnae have tae be cruel.
Her thoughts rushed through her mind as though he might hear them, but, of course, he could not. All her begging had proven useless, and perhaps now, it really was her end. And yet, the man just stood there, gazing at her.
Elsie tried to read his expression, desperate to see if her words had made any impact at all. And then, his gaze softened, onlyslightly, but it softened all the same. Perhaps there was some hope after all.
After another moment, he dropped her hand from his. Elsie kept her gaze on him, certain that something had shifted in his eyes, as though he had gained some clarity, or made a decision.
“Ye are right,” he said. “Ye hold nay fault here. Instead, I propose an alternative.”
Oh, thanks be tae the gods.
“Rather than taking yer life,” he continued, “I will marry ye.”
What?
Her eyes flew wide and her mouth fell open as she gawked at him in astonishment. So stunned was she, she did not know how to react at first. Emotions rushed through her as she tried to assimilate his words, and eventually, she could not decide if she felt relief or horror. For she was now going to keep her life, but at what cost?
His words were like a heavy strike as she absorbed the twist in her fate. She had never wanted to marry Laird Gunn, but to be forced to marry Laird Mackay, to be bound to a man so ruthless and cold was going to be a living nightmare, a prison she could never free herself from.
